Napoleon and Pope Pius VII at Fontainebleau in 1813

Wilkie's Napoleon and Pope Pius VII at Fontainebleau in 1813, painted 1836, depicts Napoleon during his detention of Pius VII at the Fontainebleau palace — the extraordinary episode when he imprisoned the Pope rather than permit his return to Rome. The painting captures the moment of forced coexistence between the Emperor and his captive Pontiff, the power dynamic between civil and religious authority dramatized through their physical relationship. Wilkie's interest in the Napoleonic legend led him to several French historical subjects in his later career, exploring the Empire from outside the French propagandistic tradition.

Wilkie renders the confrontation with the dark, atmospheric palette of his late period and careful attention to the contrasting characters of the two protagonists. The intimate chamber setting and the tense body language create a powerful psychological drama.